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Do you see why an Epicurean, in speaking about virtue, will never admit that a thing can be virtuous unless that thing is either pleasurable or leads to pleasure? Do you realize why admitting that a thing can be virtuous without being pleasurable, or without …

I have been continuing to research the philosophical background against which Epicurus constructed his Principle Doctrines, and I decided to let a more recent writer do some of the work for me. Thomas Aquinas is well-known to have been a devotee of Aristotle, and his …

In a recent discussion a friend wrote: “Cassius’ fictional man who suggests suicide to prevent desires is, as Elli Pensa said, a very ridiculous man.” Why? What if Pythocles were to read, from Epicurus himself, “If you wish to make Pythocles wealthy, don’t give him …

Peace and Safety to the Epicureans of today, no matter where you might be! To summarize some observations from a recent thread on the Epicurean Philosophy Facebook group, it appears to me that in order to understand the meaning of PD3, and to understand the …

Here is an audio version of a letter written in 1429 by Cosma Raimondi defending Epicurus against the Stoics, Platonists, and Aristotelians. It is more narrowly focused than the Epicurean section of Cicero’s “On Ends”, but it is excellent. It specifically and clearly addresses how …

There’s an important issue behind the Epicurean rejection of “Stoic” ideas which can be seen in a brief selection from Cicero. At the beginning of the Epicurean section of On Ends, the speaker introduces his topic with a few lines that seem to be nothing …